White House working with insurers to bypass HealthCare.gov: WSJ

Monday, 18 Nov 2013 | 3:18 PM ETCNBC.com

SHARES

Getty Images

An insurance agent helps a woman navigate insurance options.

On a mission to help people bypass distressed health-insurance websites, the Obama administration said it may allow big insurers to directly sign up those who qualify for tax credits, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Currently, customers who are eligible for subsidies can get them only when purchasing coverage on the exchanges. The Obamacare website was launched on Oct. 1 and since then has had various technical problems.

The new concession can help some people work around troubled insurance websites, including HealthCare.gov. The administration said it is working with insurers to eliminate the technical hurdles for the plan, according to The Journal.

The move came as a pressure mounted with only a few weeks left before the rescheduled deadline for the website to work—Nov. 30, reported the newspaper. HealthCare.gov services 36 states, which refused to run their own exchanges.